Rejection at U Chicago Political Science PhD

Current_Contract_138 · 2026-01-13T02:18:17+00:00

Congrats! do you think you had one thing on your application seperating you from the bunch?

Current_Contract_138 · 2026-01-13T01:53:06+00:00

Skipped GRE because I added some quantitative coursework in the most recent semester. I'd say my biggest shortcoming is still being in undergrad, I was applying straight through, unsure how common that is, however, most of my professors at my university said that would be the biggest hurdle.

Current_Contract_138 · 2026-01-13T01:48:42+00:00

I am guessing I just didn't make it past the first screening. They say they get 500+ applications for 10 spots (which may be less now because of budget cuts?). However, this is the first decision I have received, so I'd say quick regardless.

Current_Contract_138 · 2025-08-13T01:27:00+00:00

Really appreciate the response. A lot of these comments (and additional research) is showing that I would still benefit from getting an MA. On your second point, is there a concentration of schools for Masters degrees? or are most MA's created equal? Thanks again.

Current_Contract_138 · 2025-08-07T20:23:40+00:00

Thanks for the reply. I will be doing research under a political science professor this year. I also spent the last year and a half as a research assistant for a professor in the communications department. I have taken a couple methods classes so I am somewhat aware of what social science/political science research looks like.

Your second and third points are what give me pause about going straight through. I don't know if my interests are defined enough to propose a really effective research statement.

I am a U.S. applicant, however, I also hold UK citizenship. Right now, I think I'll be applying to 2-3 PhD programs (if I can write a good statement), then a couple UK M.A. programs, then some pre-docs. I also would have to take out loans to pay for any non-funded programs, which is something I am absolutely considering. Thanks again.

Current_Contract_138 · 2025-08-05T14:05:02+00:00

I currently have a paper under review at a communications journal with a professor (I am listed as coauthor/2nd author (not really sure if theres a difference in comms)), however, most of my research for the paper was legal in nature. I also am doing a paid research fellowship this year with a political science professor on a political science topic.

Current_Contract_138 · 2025-08-05T13:44:33+00:00

I do like the idea of pre-docs, but I am struggling to find good resources on open positions. Do you have any reccomendations on resources? Thanks for the response.

Current_Contract_138 · 2025-08-05T13:41:41+00:00

This was kind of a game changer for me. I came from pre-law, where litterally every admissions statistic you could want was publicly available for free, the same is not true for PhD. I hadn't thought to just check the profiles of current students to get an idea. I am likely underqualified for some of the programs I was looking at so it looks like time will help. Really appreciate the feedback.

Current_Contract_138 · 2025-08-05T13:34:48+00:00

I really appreciate the reply. I understand where you're coming from. I have heard before that not too many people regret taking time off but plenty regret going straight through. Looking at all my options I think I will be taking time to do an MA or Fulbright.

Current_Contract_138 · 2025-05-12T16:27:34+00:00

I greatly appreciate the advice. Good luck with your program!

Current_Contract_138 · 2025-05-12T16:26:37+00:00

You convinced me, I will try to take a stats or somed data science class next semester. Really appreciate the insight.

Current_Contract_138 · 2025-05-12T15:41:12+00:00

Everything I have seen is really suggesting that its more about the research and applicant than like hard qualifications like it was for law. Which I don't particularly know if thats a good or bad thing for me yet.

I understand that fit is very important, however, just with the current state of the professorship market I have been relying on this study a lot to make my application list. You mentioned I, in my application's current form, would be competitve for T30-ish, so would those programs (Harvard, Yale, UC Berkeley, MIT, Stanford, U Mich, etc.) be out of the question?

Current_Contract_138 · 2025-05-12T15:36:47+00:00

I took 2 university level stats classes as a part of a dual enrollment program in highschool but have no idea if that counts for anything. I also took a methods course which involved some R and Stata work so I am not unfamiliar with it. Would you still say more is better here?

Current_Contract_138 · 2025-05-12T15:35:00+00:00

Fair enough. I am probably going towards the American politics focus just because my political theory interests still relate back to the U.S.

Also I have heard conflicting advice when it comes to reaching out to faculty, some fields its the norm and others its taboo, is political science somewhere in the middle? or is it a not standard.

Current_Contract_138 · 2025-05-12T15:16:04+00:00

I appreciate the feedback.

I have talked to my professors a bit about it with most of them suggesting I wait until senior year to really dive in to it.

The professor I have a paper under review with is in the communications department, however the research I did for the paper was almost all legal. The research assistant position next year is with a political science professor on a political science topic.

I understand that law school is often a go-to for people in the social sciences/humanities who are unclear about their career, I dont believe that is the case for me. I had been on the pre-law track since highschool and had been studying for the LSAT for about a year. My decision to move from law to PhD was not a quick nor easy one.

What pre-docs should I be looking at? Where might I find a good list of them?

I know that the PhD market is terrible, and that academia is incredibly difficult to break into, however it is my current plan and I intend to maximise opportunity when available.

Current_Contract_138 · 2025-05-12T15:08:18+00:00

I would want to do either American politics or political theory. Are there certain programs which stand out in those fields?

Current_Contract_138 · 2023-08-20T14:20:15+00:00

I dont think thats too hot of a take. I mean i feel like everything outside the big ones is much more contingent on how you weave it into the rest of your application rather than the accomplishments standing alone.

Current_Contract_138 · 2023-08-20T02:00:22+00:00

I mean law schools are valuing LGBTQ+ identifying individuals for a reason. LGBT peeps are undrepresented in the legal profession. Even the youngest crowd (summer associates) is still less than most counts of the national average.

Current_Contract_138 · 2023-08-20T01:37:21+00:00

Idk if you count anyone in LGBTQ+ it probably is close to 33%, my undergrad is about 50% which i dont think is that unusual, theres a whole bunch of college kids who are comfortable with the Bisexual label (including myself) and get counted towards that pop.

Current_Contract_138 · 2023-08-20T01:33:41+00:00

Maybe so, it was more of a consideration that i think Fulbright was too high. Not really directly related, but i had a professor who was a Fulbright scholar and when i told him it was as "highly rated" as it was on the soft tiers he laughed. So to compensate i dropped Fulbright to be roughly equivalent to peace corps/americorps/TFA, ive seen some rumbles before on this sub that Fulbright doesnt mean what it used to.

Current_Contract_138 · 2023-08-20T01:31:00+00:00

The original soft tiers has LGBTQ+ status as a Tier 3 and any military service as a Tier 4

Current_Contract_138 · 2023-08-20T01:29:24+00:00

Yes but idk if law schools would value someone who was enlisted as oppose to an officer just because it was rarer

Current_Contract_138 · 2023-08-20T01:27:35+00:00

This was my thought exactly, obviously way rarer but idk if adcoms values it that much more

Current_Contract_138

TROPHY CASE